Message Notes

SUNDAY SCHOOL SPECIAL 2 May 2021

Text: John 3

Subject: Evangelism

Sub-Topic: Personal Evangelism: “Born Again” III

INTRODUCTION

1. The Salvation Plan of God

a) There are many parts

b) Some are easier to comprehend

c) Some a little harder to understand

2. Undergirding the Plan of Salvation

a) The role of the Lord Jesus Christ

b) The love of God

c) The work of the Holy Spirit

AN EXAMPLE DRAWN FROM THE SCRIPTURES

1. A reference to an occasion when Moses made a brazen serpent (John 3:14; Numbers 21:4-9)

2. Recalling this story

a) The children of Israel 

i) Spoke against God

ii) Spoke against Moses (Numbers 21:5)

b) Content of their complaint

i) Why were they led out of Egypt?

The choice was left to the children of Israel to leave Egypt

Or to stay as slaves of the Pharaoh!

ii) No food/no water

This was not true!

iii) They described manna as “worthless bread” (Numbers 21:5)

They despised what God had graciously provided!

c) God had to chastise the complainers

i) This was not the first time they complained

ii) Fiery serpents came into their camp

iii) People died (Numbers 21:6)

d) The people then confessed

i) They had sinned 

ii) They had spoken against the Lord

iii) They had spoken against Moses (Numbers 21:7a)

e) Desperate plea to Moses

i) To pray to God on their behalf

ii) That God might take away the serpents (Numbers 21:7b)

f) Moses prayed for the people (Numbers 21:7c)

i) As he always had

ii) Moses was faithful to the very end

g) God’s response

i) Make a fiery serpent

ii) Set it on a pole

iii) Everyone who is bitten when he looks at it

iv) He shall live (Numbers 21:8)

h) A bronze serpent was made

i) It was put on a pole

ii) If a person had been bitten

iii) If he looked at the bronze serpent

iv) He lived (Numbers 21:9)

3. What this Story was meant to teach

a) The problem of Sin

i) It makes people complain

ii) One can speak against God

iii) One can speak against man too

b) The consequences of sin

i) Sin has terrible consequences

ii) Punishment may be meted out

c) God’s answer to sin

i) There must be confession of sin

ii) There must be true repentance

iii) There must be the “Look of faith”

iv) It is not the bronze serpent that saves

v) It is God who saves

d) The people had to make a response

i) An appropriate response

ii) A humble response

iii) A sincere response

Their lives depended on their response!

4. The Application of this story

a) As Moses lifted up the serpent

b) Even so must the Son of Man be lifted up

c) This is a reference to the Crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ 

5. What the Story is NOT

a) The Lord Jesus Christ is NOT the brazen serpent

b) This must be made clear

6. What the Lord Jesus was trying to teach

a) God knows all about our struggles with Sin

b) Sin will have to be judged one day

c) God’s Solution was to send the Lord Jesus as the Son of Man 

i) He will suffer for us

ii) He will die for our sins

d) We need to have that Look of Faith 

Then can we be saved from the penalty of sin!

HOW WE MAY EFFECTIVELY RESPOND TO THE GOSPEL OF SALVATION

1. Recognition of Sin 

a) In our heart 

b) In our life

2. Repentance of Sin

a) Confession

b) Cleansing sought

3. Receiving the Lord Jesus Christ

a) Recognition of the work of our Saviour 

i) He was lifted up

ii) He was crucified 

iii) He gave His life for us

b) Receiving the Lord with a Look of genuine faith

c) Rejoicing that God would forgive all our sins

d) Relating to God as our Heavenly Father

Made possible by the Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:12)